What can be done about the broken justice systems around the world, particularly those in developing countries? We need first to understand the history of those countries.
When I was a child, I was fascinated by maps. I had a world map in which vast areas were coloured in Red, which I was proudly told by my parents was the British Empire. An empire where ‘the sun never set’ and I felt special and privileged to belong to the ‘best country on earth’! In fact, most of the world, two hundred years ago, was controlled be european nations: Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and even Belgium. Colonies spread though the South and Central America, most of Africa and great swathes of Asia. It was the colonial era. Continue reading “Broken justice systems: the legacy of Colonies”
Gandhi is one of my heroes. I use the word “heroes” with caution. No one is perfect and we can be tempted to idolise. But there can be no doubt that Mahatma Gandhi was a remarkable man. People have written books about him, many films have been made about him including the well-known film directed by Richard Attenborough.
How many times have we heard somebody say, “I’m not a racist, but…”? Calling somebody a racist can be a term of abuse in itself. It is an insult. The trouble is, that there are obviously degrees of racism, but the term “racist” is an absolute term. If we call a dog, “a dog” then that creature is either a dog or not at – there is no in between. Calling another a racist implies that the person is 100% racist. But it may just mean we consider their racism is worse than our own. And so, I will not call anybody a racist, but I will explore some of the aspects of racism.
Compassion and Justice 